20 Sky-High Photos That’ll Make You Look Down Twice

Honorable Mention in Wildlife Picture this: a polar bear mom and her two baby cubs goofing around on the snowy slopes of Canada’s Baffin Island. The little guys are just three months old, learning the ropes of bear life while their mom makes sure no snowball fight goes unfair.

Honorable Mention in Wildlife Check out this sneaky young bull shark cruising under the water near Kununurra, Australia. From above, it’s like the shark is ghosting through a watery jungle of plants. Shark moves so smooth!

Honorable Mention in Wildlife Nap time anyone? Here’s a polar bear catching some serious Z’s in the Arctic, all cozy in a crack by some stunning blue ice. Felix kept a safe distance so Mr. Bear could dream on.

Highly Commended in Wildlife Here’s what a crocodile looks like when it straight-up carves a mud path. This saltwater croc is cruising through the Mary River floodplains, looking like a scaly, sneaky sea snake from way up here.

Honorable Mention in Wildlife A polar bear on the hunt takes a swim between chunks of ice near a glacier. He’s cruising, sniffing, and plotting his next snack, all while floating like he owns the place.

2nd Place in Nature Right after a storm in Kyrgyzstan, snowy mountains hug a golden valley where old rivers snake through, hiding stories you’d never guess existed. Nature’s way of saying "surprise!"

3rd Place in Nature Imagine silver waterfalls pouring from giant cliffs with a smoking volcano chilling in the background. That’s Tumpak Sewu doing its fancy thing in Indonesia.

Honorable Mention in Wedding A couple took a stroll down a super rare salty path at the Dead Sea. The water dipped, the salt popped up, and bam - instant natural wedding aisle. Talk about a salty love story!

Honorable Mention in Wildlife A dolphin mom and her calf showing off some serious shadow magic - baby’s silhouette lands on mom’s tummy where it once called home. Cute level: infinite.

Highly Commended in Urban Gigantic glass towers kiss the sky while tiny workers cling to one building like modern ninjas. A reminder that people are what make giant cities tick.

Honorable Mention in Nature Every year, camels go on a desert trek chasing rain and spring blooms, making one epic, dusty camel conga line across the wild sands.

1st Place in Urban A massive dust storm rolled into Kuwait and turned the sky into a thick, orange mystery. It was like the city got swallowed by a sandy ghost. Spooky, but kinda cool.

Photo of the Year This old giant ship is getting a sky-high makeover - torn apart piece by piece on muddy flats. It’s like a colossal metal jigsaw puzzle, with 60 guys doing the heavy lifting over a whole year.

Highly Commended in Wildlife Bluefish do their best ninja impression, weaving through a massive cloud of little bait fish - an underwater dance happening right off the US coast.

Honorable Mention in People A quiet moment caught from above, showing a shepherd and their flock making their way through the hills. Ruh-roh, herd’s on the move!

2nd Place in Urban Spot the contrast! An old hilltop neighborhood built by refugees stands side-by-side with shiny modern skyscrapers in Busan, South Korea. It’s like history and future had a city-themed face-off.

Honorable Mention in People Here’s a tough crew trekking up 2500 meters with their animals to chill in cool mountain pastures. Rough, but nature’s calling, right?

Highly Commended in Sport A lone surfer in a red wetsuit battles the wild foam of the Atlantic near the Azores - like a tiny warrior taking on the crashing sea giants.

1st Place in Wedding A groom who’s also a guitarist wanted to show off his love for music and marriage at the same time. So they made a giant musical veil and surrounded him with guitars. Talk about a rockstar wedding shot!

Highly Commended in Sport A group of skiers switches gears at Antarctica’s glacier edge - from downhill thrill seekers to uphill climbers, navigating crevasses like pros in a frozen maze.